Transfer Portal: 3 potential targets for the Vols
The Tennessee Volunteers have a chance to make a major splash or two this offseason. While the transfer portal doesn’t officially open for non-graduates until December 4th, many players have already thrown their names in the ring. The Vols are set to lose several key contributors and the portal will provide an opportunity to patch some of those holes.
While we can’t solely rely on Senior Day participation to see who will come back and who will not, it likely provides helpful insight. The guys over at VolReport did a great job keeping track of who did and who didn’t participate in Senior Day festivities.
For instance, John Campbell Jr., Kamal Hadden, Ramel Keyton, Aaron Beasley, and Jaylen McCullough are some of the seniors who participated and do not have an extra year of eligibility. Meanwhile, Cooper Mays and Javontez Spraggins are seniors who have an extra year of eligibility and did not participate in Senior Day. Therefore, for this exercise, we’ll assume Mays and Spraggins are sticking around for one more season.
Now, let’s identify some players who have already inserted their names into the transfer portal mix and see who could be a realistic fit.
Spencer Brown, T, Michigan State
Brown is a fifth-year senior who will spend his final year of eligibility elsewhere. Brown made his first career start for the Spartans in the 2021 Peach Bowl. The tackle made 20 consecutive starts for the Spartans before having his streak ended by a suspension this season. Brown could essentially be the 2024 version of Campbell- a solid veteran stopgap.
Phillip Dunnam, S, Indiana
Wesley Walker and Jaylen McCollough both participated in Senior Day. Walker could choose to return, but McCollough cannot. Either way, the Vols need to improve in the secondary and Dunnam could be a perfect fit.
Dunnam played in all 24 games during his freshman and sophomore seasons. In 2023, the defensive back tied for the team lead with 3 interceptions. Dunnam was a 4-star prospect and was the No. 37 safety in the nation for the 2022 class. A ball-hawking safety who isn’t afraid of contact? We’d take him.
Justin Joly, TE, UConn
This is a little bit of fan service here. Joly hasn’t announced that he’s entering the portal or anything, but we are hoping he does. I mean, UConn is abysmal. Joly got to see firsthand how awesome it would be to play in Neyland this season.
When the Huskies came to Knoxville, Joly caught the eye of many Vol fans. The tight end caught 8 passes for 89 yards against the Vols, and quite frankly, looked too good to be playing for the Huskies. The Vols need a tight end, too, considering Jacob Warren and McCallan Castles will not be back. I know Joly has seen the love on social media, so let’s make it happen.
Final Thoughts
Those are just the main players/positions I think the Vols should target. Ultimately, another guard, a corner, and a backup QB will be needed as well. Be sure to tune back in through the next several weeks as we will be keeping track of any Vols’ transfer news.